Starmer 'absolutely furious' that he was not told Mandelson failed security vetting as US ambassador
The PM branded it "staggering" and "unacceptable" that he was not made aware that Lord Mandelson had failed vetting for his role as US ambassador
The Prime Minister has said he is "absolutely furious" that he was not informed that Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting linked to his appointment as US Ambassador.
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Speaking from Paris on Friday, the PM branded it "staggering" and "unacceptable" that he was not made aware that Lord Mandelson had failed checks ahead of the appointment.
"I was not told that he had failed security vetting, no minister was told... Number 10 wasn't told, that is completely unacceptable," he told the media.
This morning, Number 10 claimed that no minister had been told that Mandelson had failed vetting for the role, laying blame at the door of the Foreign Office.
As a result, Top Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins was removed from his post after previously holding the role of chief Brexit negotiator from 2017 to 2019.
Sir Keir Starmer is now facing mounting pressure in the wake of the revelations that are rapidly turning into a scandal.
Read More: Peter Mandelson failed security vetting for US ambassador role but Foreign Office overruled decision
Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast this morning, in the first interview by a government minister since the news broke on Thursday, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones insisted that no minister was aware of the failed vetting, a flaw in the system.
He told LBC this morning that he has no concerns over the Prime Minister’s future.
He added that it is “astonishing” that the Foreign Office was able to overrule the vetting process for Lord Peter Mandelson.
Speaking ahead of his meeting with President Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris, Starmer was also seen to criticise officials, explaining: "It is totally unacceptable that the prime minister making an appointment is not told that security vetting has been failed."
He added he will "set out all the relevant facts in true transparency" to parliament on Monday.
Reiterating his ministers' comments, Starmer added: "I was not told the security vetting had failed... no minister was told."
On Friday, Darren Jones told LBC that the Prime Minister is “furious” that the top Labour Peer's appointment as US ambassador was allowed to go ahead, despite failing checks.
Mandelson failed to pass Developed Vetting before his appointment - but was given the job anyway.
Mr Jones admitted that it's embarrassing for the government that the shocking revelations have come to light.
Last night Foreign Office permanent under-secretary Sir Olly Robbins was sacked by the PM in light of the extraordinary revelations.
Security officials at 'UK Security Vetting' - a branch of the Cabinet Office - initially denied the clearance, but Foreign Office officials took the "astonishing" step of overruling the recommendation.
The disgraced peer was initially denied clearance in late January 2025 after a highly confidential background check by security officials, multiple sources say.
A few weeks later, Sir Keir Starmer announced Mandelson as the UK’s chief diplomat in Washington.
Following the revelation, the Foreign Office is “working urgently” to comply with a request by the Prime Minister to establish the facts around how vetting was granted for Mandelson to become ambassador to the US, an FCDO spokesperson said.
Reform UK and the Green Party have called for Starmer to resign, while the SNP have reported him to the ethics advisor.